Marion County RECORD

After providing more than three decades of health care to patients at Marion Family Physicians, Dr. Don Hodson announced the end of his practice of medicine Monday.
The letter was very difficult for him to write, Hodson said Tuesday, but he thought that delivering the news would be hard no matter when it came out.

A forum and question-and-answer session for candidates in the Marion city elections will be at 3 p.m. March 2 in the community center auditorium, sponsored by the Marion County Record.
Topics will include what the city’s role should be in economic development, the appropriate relationship between city council, the mayor, and the city administrator, and recycling. There will be an opportunity for audience members to ask questions. Readers also may submit questions in advance by dropping them off at the newspaper office, mailing them to PO Box 278, Marion, KS 66861-0278, or e-mailing news@marionrecord.com.

Marion City Council members voiced various opinions for options, including a lease-lease agreement with Altec Capital, to replace the city’s primary electric department bucket truck.
“I feel like we need to spend that money on different things,” council member Jerry Kline said. “It (the lease) is a lot of money, $17,000 a year, and what will we have in five years? Because the truck won’t be ours.”

Jean Pierce of Marion isn’t interested in going out of town to get her Medicare Part D prescriptions filled no matter how much insurance companies want to steer business to big chain pharmacies— and neither do her friends.
“I’ll just stick with my local Marion pharmacy,” she said. “We have to keep something local going.”

Marion Economic Development Inc. board members on Tuesday discussed ways to get more attractive homes on the market in town and clear out dilapidated homes to make room for new construction.
Construction of duplexes for senior citizens and renovation of September Apartments ought to entice some senior citizens to downsize from large homes, city administrator Roger Holter said.

Karbon Arms Inc. left Peabody Police Department and all of its other customers in a bind at the end of a lawsuit with TASER International over Karbon Arms’ infringement of TASER’s stun gun patents in January.
As part of the conclusion of the lawsuit, in which the company was ordered to pay almost $2.4 million to TASER, Karbon Arms also provided a list of its customers to TASER. Since then TASER has notified Karbon Arms’ customers that continued use of stun guns made by Karbon Arms would be a violation of federal patent law and offered to sell them replacements. Peabody police spent $3,495 and committed $2,220 over the next four years to replace its stun guns.

Micah and Treva Bailey are learning a new meaning to neighborly after a fire destroyed at least two outbuildings and damaged their home at 218 W. 2nd St. in Florence shortly before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“A neighbor who lives one block over just happened to drive by and saw the fire,” Mary Britton, who owns the home across the street from the Baileys, said.

The 68th annual meeting of the Marion County Conservation District is Saturday at Eastmoor United Methodist Church.
Josh Roe, an economist with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, will be the speaker.

County commissioners took minimal action Tuesday on a day Commissioner Dan Holub was not in attendance.
Sheriff Rob Craft informed commissioners that he hoped to have a contract with the Corps of Engineers finalized next month to patrol the reservoir. Dallke said the contract has been around for at least 20 years.

Connie McMahan manages the Tampa Trail Store in downtown Tampa.
McMahan and her husband were living in a Chicago suburb when they decided to retire and move closer to family in the Wichita area. They searched online and found a country home north of Tampa, which they bought sight unseen.

Former Lincolnville mayor Warren E. Barton, 78, of Lincolnville died Feb. 6 at Newton Medical Center. He was born Feb. 10, 1935, in Cabool, Mo., to Allen E. and Lillian M. (Walker) Barton.
He was raised in Wichita and attended North High School. He worked as an auto body technician before moving to Lincolnville. He worked at Centre schools for 23 years as director of transportation, janitor, bus driver, and maintenance worker until he retired in 2005. He served two terms as mayor of Lincolnville.

Betty L. Thompson, 88, of Marion died Saturday at St. Luke Living Center. She was born April 29, 1925, in Olathe.
She worked for 25 years in the Marion County Treasurer’s office and 15 years at Farmers and Drovers Bank in Marion.

Rubena Wiebe, 90, died Thursday at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. She was born Nov. 3, 1923, to Bernhard and Margaret (Jantzen) Wiens in Hooker, Okla.
She married Vernon Wiebe on May 30, 1947, in Hillsboro.

Figuratively and literally, Don Hodson is a lifesaver. In an era in which physicians come and go as fast as doctor shows on a fifth-rate TV network, he has been Marion’s ever-present doctor for 32 years — the only doctor some young families have ever known. He could have earned more money, more fame, and more time off elsewhere, but he dutifully stood behind scores of patients who consciously owe him their life and a community that, perhaps unconsciously, owes him the same debt.
A sometimes outspoken iconoclast, he has been not just a healer but also a leader in the hometown he adopted as a young man. His more than three decades of practice brought health not only to his patients but also to a hospital that otherwise might have suffered the fate of far too many rural health care facilities. The man who reputedly once registered for access to this newspaper’s website under the name “Aldous Huxley” brought a positive brave new world to medical care in a community struggling to transition from the days of community fixtures to interchangeable parts in its health care delivery system.

One prominent columnist who writes about professional football has a frequent item in his columns, reporting on instances of “creep.” Creep is what happens when companies compete to be the first one to have the next seasonal thing stocked: Halloween costumes before Labor Day, Christmas decorations before Halloween, those sorts of things.
I’m not as dedicated as he is to calling out examples of creep, but there is one lately that I just have to address. Call it basketball madness creep. Basketball is supposed to save its wild, crazy, heart-stopping finishes for March. But everywhere you look, teams are jumping the gun.

It is with mixed emotion that I announce the end of my practice of medicine in Marion.
I came here 32 years ago as a young physician and have become very ingrained in the community. I have made friends of many of my patients and made patients of many of my friends. I have seen five physician partners come and go, several mid-level providers come and go, and have felt both obligated and lucky to be the one who was here long-term for the health care of our community.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

Marion Kiwanis Club sang at Marion Assisted Living for its program Tuesday. More than 20 spectators listened as 13 Kiwanians sang songs, including taking requests from the audience, and even whistled a song.
There were 19 Kiwanians and one guest at the regular meeting. Al Ash reported that an interclub meeting that was supposed to happen on Saturday with the Lindsborg club was unsuccessful. Marion had enough members who wanted to attend, but on their way to Lindsborg, they had a vehicle breakdown.

Author, speaker, and promoter of Kansas cowboy heritage Jim Gray will present “A Bullwhackers Life — Freighting Supplies over the Plains” during a Kansas Humanities program that begins at 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at Marion City Library in the new Santa Fe Room.
Gray’s program will cover bullwhackers who traveled the Kansas frontier freighting supplies and shaping a profession akin to today’s long haul truck drivers.

The family of MaryAnn Wiens gathered over the weekend for the annual birthday dinner and bingo at Hilltop community room in Marion. After dinner, the family had a baby shower for Erica Richmond.
Those present were MaryAnn Wiens, Gerald and Jan Wiens, Jennifer Schneider, Jim and Joni Crofoot, Don and Janice Hodson, Jeff, Erica, and Noah Richmond, Brian Grosse, Lindsey Richmond and Braylee, Loreen and Eli Hett, and guest Frankie Turner, all of Marion; Herb Bartel of Hillsboro; Marvin and Diann Cline of Smolan; and Stan and Denise Hett of Wichita.

Hillsboro Recreation Commission will present a weekly women’s self-defense class in March. The class is for women ages 16 and up. Classes are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Mondays March 3 through 24. Classes will be in the Hillsboro Elementary School cafeteria.
The class will be taught by Instructor Ko Hai Mervin Lare. Lare is trained in karate, kung fu, and aiki jujutsu.

Dr. Paige Hatcher will present “The Heart Truth” as part of St. Luke Hospital’s “Lunch, Learn, and Live” series from 12 to 1 p.m. Monday at St. Luke Clinic basement.
The event is open to the public and lunch will be provided at no cost. Hatcher will share information about heart health and what can be done to help with certain heart conditions.

Preston and Lisa Hodges of Peabody announce the engagement of their daughter, Embry Hodges, to Nate Nelson, son of Shane and Michelle Nelson of Cassoday.
The bride-elect is a 2011 graduate of Peabody-Burns High School and Butler Community College. She works for Another Day Inc.

Mid-Kansas Co-op is offering 20 scholarships for high seniors and returning college students.
The deadline is March 15.

Hillsboro High School sophomore Allison Gray recently took fifth chair position in the French horn section of the Kansas Music Educators Association all-state band and will be performing with the ensemble March 1.
In addition to regularly scheduled school band practice with band teacher Bruce Major, Allison also has been taking private lessons from former band instructor Shana Stepanek for about two years to help develop her musicianship.

Students of Goessel Elementary School will be taking their guests on a musical safari at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Feb. 20 in the elementary school gym.
The program will feature an entire school performance of “It’s a Jungle Out There,” as well as songs “Never Smile at a Crocodile,” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

In addition to contending in the South Central District Poultry Career Development Event, Marion-Florence FFA members also competed in the district food science and Ag Business Management events Thursday in the middle school gym.
Members Noelle Gulick, Reann Hamm, Kayla Kroupa, and Elizabeth Meyer placed fourth in the A-team division, while Brad Stone, Hayden Beardsley, Derrick Ratzloff, and Nathan Cyr took third in the B-team competition.

Marion-Florence FFA Chapter will hold its annual work auction, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27 in the vo-ag building at the high school.

It took 98 words, but after several back-and-forth rounds for first and second place, Jessy Dalke spelled “supplement” correctly to become the Marion County spelling bee champion.
Jessy is a fifth grader from Hillsboro Middle School. Her parents are Dale and Jana Dalke.

Students participated in a two-day, seven-event Winter Olympics during physical education class last week in the Marion Elementary School gym.
Although there was no torch or opening ceremony, physical education teacher Nicki Case played the “Olympic Fanfare” as she demonstrated event rules and talked to students about the 2014 Winter Olympics.

After a little test of his own, Peabody-Burns Elementary School Principal Ken Parry decided to find a grant that would allow the school to purchase stability balls for all elementary classrooms.
“The school psychologists brought in three or four to try in classes,” Parry said. “We noticed students were more focused and decided at that point it was worth it to us to try and get more for all of the elementary school.”

When senior centers in the county were closed because of a snowstorm earlier this month, Meals on Wheels were also suspended.
Wilma Gilmer of Marion receives Meals on Wheels regularly because she has difficulty getting out of her home. However, she was well prepared for the storm.

The county extension service will sponsor Walk Kansas from March 16 to May 10. The eight-week program will focus on helping participants be more active, make better nutrition choices, and learn ways to deal with stress.
It is a team event that challenges participants to meet increasing levels of exercise. Participants will log and report their exercise each week. There will be weekly newsletters with exercise and nutrition tips, a recipe, and stress management ideas.

In a report to the board of directors meeting for the Senior Citizens of Marion County, Gayla Ratzlaff told those in attendance that a commodity shipment would be delivered to Marion County in March instead of to Council Grove. She also shared information about the Marion County Health Fair to be March 29.
A $500 scholarship was approved.

The county extension service will offer a Master of Memory class series in March in Hillsboro.
The classes will cover how memory works, strategies to improve memory, the effects of medications and medical conditions on memory, nutrition, memory function, and exercise for body and mind.

Marion High School girls’ basketball head coach Kelly Robson says after every game how proud he is proud of his players’ effort, win or lose.
“I really have appreciated their effort,” Robson says. “I’m hearing from people in the stands, they’re complimenting my coaching. I don’t know if it’s any of that, but, boy, the girls are playing so hard.”

Friday night, the outcome of the Marion boys’ game against Canton-Galva was never in doubt.
The Warriors jumped out to a 14-2 lead in the first five minutes of the game, leading 20-5 at the end of the first quarter.

The Centre Lady Cougars trounced the St. Xavier Rams of Junction City 62-29 on Tuesday.
The Cougars defeated Elyria at home Feb. 11 and Wakefield Friday on the road.

With six wrestlers making the finals, two claiming first place, and four taking second, Marion won the tournament as a team Saturday at Chase County after defeating bigger schools like El Dorado, Mulvane, and Wamego.
“The exciting thing is to think that we aren’t as good as we are going to be in two weeks at regionals and state,” coach Chad Adkins said. “We’re not coaching effort. There’s no begging, no discipline; the guys are listening and doing what they need to do.”

The Centre Cougars easily defeated the St. Xavier Rams of Junction City 87-45 on Tuesday.
After a 53-47 victory Feb. 11 over Elyria at home, the Centre boys fell to the Wakefield Bombers Friday on the road, 55-39. It was their second loss to Wakefield after defeating the Bombers Jan. 21 in the Cougar Classic.

In a nail biting game that was evenly matched down to the very end, Marion Middle School boys’ basketball team was narrowly defeated 35-34 by Moundridge Thursday in the Heart of America League championship game at Inman.
Moundridge came out to an early lead of 8-4 by the end of the first quarter.